News Article

Reviewed By Scott Weinberg
Big shopping month. Skimpy horror week.

The Girl Next Door -- There's some element of "fun" to be found in even the nastiest of horror movies, but I challenge you to "have a good time" with this chilling piece. Based on the novel by Jack Ketchum, which itself was based on an actual (and well-documented) case of child abuse, it's about the evil that lives in even the most mundane of places -- and how disturbingly easy it is to warp a child's brain. (Provided you'd actually want to, of course.) Anyway, brace yourself for one of the most unflinchingly harsh movies since Irreversible. And if you just wanted to skip it completely, even though it's an exceedingly well-made film, nobody would blame you.

Carrie -- Brian De Palma's classic Stephen King adaptation earns another DVD re-issue. Looks to be the same DVD as the last time out, only this time it comes with a '70s music CD. So hey, if you don't already own a copy...

The Last Man on Earth -- Richard Matheson's I Am Legend has now been brought to the screen three times. This is the first one. (The second was 1971's The Omega Man, and the third one is actually called I Am Legend.) But while the later adaptations featured Yul Brynner and Will Smith, this inaugural version stars none other than Vincent Price as ... the last man on Earth. Obviously. But unfortunately there ARE vampires. Credited screenwriter Logan Swanson is actually Mr. Matheson under a pseudonym.

Werewolf: The Devil's Hound -- Indie werewolf flick from a bunch of newcomers. I just like the title.

Lake Placid / Python double feature -- Finally!

The Killer Snakes -- A certifiably insane Shaw Brothers snake-horror flick from '75. Trust me, it's gotta be seen to be believed.

Cannibal Lunchbox -- A carnivorous triple feature release that offers Warlock Moon ('75), Man from Deep River ('72), and (strangely) Blood Feast 2 (2002).

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End -- What? It's got monsters in it.

New stuff from the Brain Damage crew: Lady vampires in Mrs. Amworth, a halfway-house psycho in The Caregiver, death himself in Stiff Odds, and something(s) fairly self-explanatory in GoreGoyles.

Also this week: York Entertainment's Disintegration, an Asian import (starring Adrien Zmed!) called Shira: The Vampire Samuari, and titles like Razor's Ring, Grayson Arms, DarkPlace, and The Devil of Blue Mountain.